Process of recovering wool or other animal fibers from fabrics



Patented Sept. 23, 1924.

1,509,172 sic SIDNEY A. OGDEN, O'F EAGLE ROCK, CALIFORNIA.

PROCESS OF .RECOVERING WOOL OR OTHER N0 Drawing.

To all 10/ 10722, imz-g concern.

Be it known that I, Sinner A. Ocean, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Eagle Rock, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a certain new and useful Process of Recovering Wool or Other Animal Fibers from Fabrics, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to the art of recovering wool, or other animal fibers from fabrics, whether the same be in the form of clothing or the like, or in the piece, in which the wool or hair may have been mixed with material such as cotton, and silk, during the process of mz'inufacture,

It provides for a more completerecovery of valuable material in the so-called carbonizingprocess, inasmuch the cotton may, by the method proposed, be simultaneously or subsequently converted into the new and valuable substance termed. hydro-cellulose,

which is dehydrated hydro cellulose in colloidal condition.

'As the use of strong acids has an injurious effect on the Wool, the present practice is to treat the Woolen mixture with dilute acid, put into a drier, dust out the cotton. (which is lost as useless lay-product) and treat the wool so reclaimeda second time, with water and a neutralizing substance.

By the method proposed, and hereinafter set forth, the two operations may, if de sired, be combined, namely, the complete recovery of the wool unharmed, and the for mation of hydro-cellulose, or hydrocellulose derivatives.

This process of treating substances composed in part of Wool is herein more particle larly described, and a preferable manner of carrying it out will be hereinafter set forth:

Under my process, the woolen substances or articles are immersed in a strong acid, preferably sulphuric acid of a Baum concentration of about to 58 and brought. to a temperature of 50 to 70 centigrade. The length of time of immersion is governed by the strength of acid used and the temperature employed, but the best results for commercial operations and economy are obtained by using strengths of about 50 'Baum with a ten'lperature of about 70 centigrade.

Under these conditions, a rapid passing of the materials through the bath or im- ANIMAL FIBER-S FROBT FABRICS.

Application filed April 24, 1.923. Serial No. 634,398.

mersion effects an innnediate disintegration of the cotton in a more or less colloidal state, which acts as a protecting influence to the wool by temporarily coating the wool substance. The wool is then, as quickly as possible, passed into a washing bath to avoid any possibility of being damaged by the action of the acid.

An essential part of the process is therefore the speed in which the materials are passed through the acid bath. The aiiinity of the cellulose for the strong acid and the natural resistivity of the wool to liquids, permits the practicability of the process. The cellulose material can then be recovered, or further treated to form dehydrated hydro-cellulose, and the wool dried by any convientmethod after being washed free of acid.

Other methods with other acids of varying strengths may be used to separate the wool from the foreign material combined with it, but an important feature of this invention as set forth, is toprotect the wool while effecting the separation, so the method used will not impair its quality.

It may be desirable in cases Where there is insufiicient material present in the woolen substance to form a protective coating on the Wool to saturate or cover the articles to be treated with a substance that will produce substantially the same effect. For in stance, dipping the woolen articles to be treated in a thin cellulose paste or other protective substance is found to be advantageous, as the paste, or whatever substance is used when saturated with strong acid will instantly destroy the fibers of the cotton upon contact, but will only superficially attack the woo That is to say it prevents the penetration of the acid into the Woolen threads, and further damage whereto, by holding the acid in contact with the exterior surface only, and which acid, as above mentioned, is removed before absorption can take place. On the other hand, the cotton or sill: will absorb the strong acid and be instantly disintegrated.

The above process as outlined is equally suitable for the recovery of all such substances as animal fibers, etc, when admixed with foreign material.

A consideralde advantage of this process, of further economic value, and which is practically unobtainable by other existing processes, is the fact that the wool emerges from the wash bath 1n such a clean condition that the further operation known as "pic-king can be eliminated, and should any fortralize the acid, and furthermore the process elnninates the dust nuisance, and gas fumes,

permits the recovery of wool from silk, and

also the recovery of cotton as a valuable by-product It furthermore permits the utilization of large quantities of waste, which are at present not recoverable.

It has been found in practice that if acids of required concentration to disintegrate with rapidity the foreign material mixed with the wool, and if the speed in which the acids are applied to the material to be treated is sufficiently increased, that the slower absorptive power of the wool or animal fibres prevent the penetration of the acid or acid fumes from having what would otherwise be, a harmful effect on the material treated.

It has been found that this process or method of treating woolen substances with strong sulphuric acid has a desirable effect on the fibres anda greatly improved material results.

These advantages have never been known before in the art of wool treatment, and

' are inseparable from the methods outlined for destroying foreign matter in admixture with wool by use of cellulose solvents or dispersing agents such as sulphuric acid.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent .of the United States is V 1. A process of treating material composed of wool and cellulose or silk in mechanical mixture whereby the wool can be reclaimed, and the additive substances or ma- It is moreover unnecessary to neuterials removed in such manner that valuable by-products may be recovered in. the processing, without injury to the wool, which comprises causing protective substances to be formed on the'woolen fibers before treating the whole for recovery of the by-prodnets, and additive substances.

2. A process of treating material composed of animal fibers and cellulose or silk in mechanical mixture whereby the animal fibersmay be reclaimech'and the-additive substances. or materials removed as a by product recovered during the process without injury to-theanimal fibers, which comprisestreating the animal fibers with an acid to convert the cellulose content to a hydrocellulose known as colloidal hydro-cellulose insuch a manner that until separation of the cellulose is effected a protectingcoat of cellulose is formed'on-the animal'fibers, recovering the by-products from the acid bath washing the animal fibers and drying the same. r

3. A process of separating wool orsimilar animal fibers from the mixture thereof with vegetable fibers, which comprises passingsaid mixture rapidly through sulphuric acid at a concentration of about Be, at a temperature of approximately- 4'. The process of separating wool or similar animal fibers from the mixture thereof with vegetable fibers, which comprisesimmersing the same a fraction of a minute in sulphuric acid at a concentration'of about 50 1%., at a 'temperature'of approximately 65 C. r V

5. The process of separating'wool or similar animal fibers from the mixture thereof with vegetable fibers, which comprises treat ing said mixture with sulphuric acid at a temperature between 50 and C. at a concentration between 50 and 58 Be. for such period of time as will dissolve or colloidalize vegetable matter such as cellulose but will not injure the animal fibers.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day of April A. D; 1923.

sinner a. OGDEN. 

